Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-03
: JESS.
BY H.NDEfN HAeGARD.
&a4eTot.'Nns Sol0moHsmres skSEls.

1t was about week after hir cr''vcIr.'. los;
with old Silas Croft that it octurrod % ou4.A
that Bessie's manner had grown lsl..,..i. -
of late. 1t seemed to him that shc had avoided
his society instead of, if not counting it, Mt
least showing certain partialty for it.
Also, she had been looking pale and worried
and evinced tendency to irritation that was
quite foreign to her natural sweetness of dis
position. Now, when person on whom one
Is accustomed to depend for most of that
social intercourse and those pleasant little
amenities that members of one sex value from
another, suddenly cuts off the supply without
any apparent rhyme or reason, it is enough
to induce feeling of wonder, not TO say of
vexation, in the breast. 1t never occurred to
John that the reason might be that Bessie
was truly fond of him, and perhaps uncon-
sciously disappointed that he did not show
warmer interest in her. If, however, we were
to examine into the facts of the case we
should probably discover that this was the
real explanation of the change. Bessie was
straightforward young woman, whose mind
and purposes were as clear as running water.
She was vexed with john though she would
probably not have owned it even to herself
in so many words, and her manner reflected
the condition of her mind.
!, ~
the afternoon was merging into evening
"Bessie"-he always called her Bessie now
~ am going down to the black Waite planta-
ton by the big mealie patch. | want to see
how those young trees are doing. If you
have done your cooking'-for Eessic had been
engaged in making cake, as young ladies,
to their souls health, often have to do in tho
coonies-"I wish you would put ON YOUR lat
and come with me | don't believe that YOU
have been out to-day"
THANK you, Capt. Mel uiswc',I Isle,
looking at him in bewitchiug U,''. N.l, ,ie
well knew how to assume, "thani YOU. hut
think | had rather not go out waii...I"." &;
was what she said, but her eye, adc.,. II am
offended with you. l want TO hav, l.o i:lg
to do with YOU"
Every we'll" said john then I Fly. go
must go alone" and he took up his hat with
the air of a martyr.
Bessie looked through the open kitchen
door at the lights and Shadows that ch;,,cd
each other across the swelling bosom of the
hill behind the house.
at certainly is very fine" she said; are
you going far!'
mo, only round the plantation"
There are so many puff adders down there
and | hate snakes" suggested Bessie, by way
of finding another excuse for not coming
ooh, I'll look after the puff adders-come
along"
"Well," she said at last, II will come, not
because | want to come. but because you
have overpersuaded me- l don't know what
has come to me-" she added, with a little
stamp and a sudden filling of her blue ewes
with tears, 81 do not seem to have any will of
my own left. When l want to do one thing
and you want me to do another, it is l who
have to do what you WANT and | tell you
don't like it, Capt. Mel, and l shall be very
cross out walking;" and she swept past him.
on her way to fetch her hat, in that peculiarly
graceful way that angry women can some
times assume, and left him rejecting that he
never saw more charming or taking lady in
Europe or out of it.
He had half mind to risk it and ask her
to marry him. But then, perhaps, she might
refuse him. and that was an idea that he did
not quite take to. After our first youth few
men altogether relish the idea of putting
themselves i'll n position that gives capricious
woman an opportunity of first figuratively
jumping on them, and then perhaps holding
them up to the scorn and obloquy of her
friends, relations and other admirers For
unfortunately, until the opposite is clearly
demonstrated, many men are apt to believe
that not few women are by nature capri.
cious, shallow and unreliable: and John Mel,
owing, possibly, to that unhappy little expe.
rience of his youth must be reckoned
among their misguided ranks.